“This is going to turn out very well!” predicted María Jesús Montero after yesterday receiving her new portfolio as first vice president of the Government and Minister of Finance, and before joining in a heartfelt hug with Nadia Calviño and Teresa Ribera, the three companions in fatigue. and sleepless nights from the first “emergency” Executive formed by Pedro Sánchez in just 24 hours after landing in the Moncloa, in June 2018, after winning the motion of censure that evicted Mariano Rajoy.
In addition to being an overwhelming political animal, as both her colleagues and her adversaries consider her, Montero (Seville, 1966) is a rising star in Sánchez’s firmament, since the President of the Government snatched her from his internal arch-enemy, Susana Díaz. , then president of the Junta de Andalucía.
But Montero, as his faithful highlighted in the face of that surprising signing of Sánchez, did not have a special Susana affiliation. “He has his own political profile and his own criteria,” they warned.
Montero was Minister of Finance and Public Administrations in the Government of Andalusia (2013-2018) with Susana Díaz, as before she was Minister of Health and Social Welfare (2012-2013) with Pepe Griñán, and even before Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs (2004 -2012) with Manolo Chaves.
Sánchez urgently needed someone who already knew all the budgetary ins and outs, and Montero, with extensive experience in the matter in the regional administration, began to see the dawn and dusk from his new office in the Ministry of Finance, where he replaced Cristóbal Montoro. From Montoro to Montero, he was ironic then.
At the Moncloa, the great attributes that assist Montero stand out, first of all, his great negotiating skills. And it is supported by the three consecutive general state budgets approved in the last legislature, despite Sánchez’s parliamentary minority. And another endless number of negotiations successfully resolved within the government coalition and with the parliamentary groups.
In addition, they highlight that she is a tireless worker, working days that go on forever, with a very good hand at forming good teams. “She has technical solvency and at the same time political judgment,” she emphasizes. In 2020, Sánchez appointed her as spokesperson for the Government. And two years later, she also promoted her in the party, as deputy general secretary of the PSOE.
Despite the fact that many in the party bet and still bet on her to one day assume the reins of an Andalusian PSOE in need of a shake-up, others always defended that she should aspire to the top of the ranks in the Government. Sánchez placed her as fourth vice president in November, as a springboard to now assume the first vice presidency, a position in which she herself placed herself yesterday in the wake of María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, Carmen Calvo and Nadia Calviño herself.
Now she is Sánchez’s number two, both in the Government and in the PSOE. Does that mean that the president is already designating her as his successor for the future? For that, socialist leaders assure, “there is still a lot of fabric to cut.” But it is evident that Montero is already located on the first starting line by the time this race starts.
